''Armored Warriors'', known in Japan as , is a 1994

beat 'em up A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in Side-scrolling video game, scrolling, 2D c ...

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developed and published by

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

for arcades. After being included with the Retro-Bit Super Retro-Cade

dedicated console A dedicated console is a video game console that is limited to one or more built-in video game or games, and is not equipped for additional games that are Digital distribution in video games, distributed via ROM cartridges, Compact disc, discs, d ...

, the game would later be released digitally as part of the ''

Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle ''Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle'' (released in Japan and Asia as ''Capcom Belt Action Collection'') is a 2018 video game compilation developed and published by Capcom. Featuring emulated versions of various beat 'em up video games from Capcom's histo ...

'' and ''

Capcom Arcade Stadium ''Capcom Arcade Stadium'' is a 2021 video game compilation developed and published by Capcom. It includes 32 arcade games originally published by Capcom between 1984 and 2001; the game itself is free to download with a single free game, while the ...

''. The "Variant Armors"

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...

featured in the game were later used for the head-to-head fighting game '' Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness''.

Gameplay

''Armored Warriors'' most prominent feature is its multi-player option, and the ability to augment the players'

mechs In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...

with a large array of different parts for varied attacks. Multiple regions of the mech could be switched, including the arms, legs and handheld weaponry. Such parts were gained (or lost) by inflicting damage upon enemies, which would cause various parts to disembark and be wielded by the player. Additionally, by using commands, the players could use an option called a "Team-up Change" which initiated a powerful attack used in tandem, and could also further vary the customization of weapons by using a main and sub-weapon. Gameplay follows a mission-like structure, with seven in total. Each stage consists of the game giving the player prerequisites such as a time-limit to eliminate enemies, a set amount of

ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...

for weapons, and destroying a varying number of enemies. Each stage ended with a

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...

character, and the game provided a competent replay value with the customization options.

Plot

In the year 2281, the United Earth Government and the Principalities of Raia signed a ceasefire treaty, ending a war that lasted for half a century. One year after the signing of the treaty, the United Earth Government's 18th scouting party reported that the Raian capital, Melkide, has been captured by an army of unknown origin. The United Earth Government decided to dispatch an army to Raia to retake the capital and rescue its citizens, but unbeknownst to the general public, the true purpose of this operation was to eliminate the unknown enemy and bring Raia under

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

's control.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Armored Warriors'' on their December 1, 1994 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list.

Notes

References

External links